Fred Shorett

SAN BERNARDINO >> The recall campaign against Councilman Fred Shorett is over with none of the required signatures delivered by Friday’s deadline.

William Cioci, who filed the notice of intent to circulate a recall petition in March, said he and other supporters of the effort decided it would be better to focus their resources — and people’s good will — on another issue.

That issue is opposition to an attempted regulation framework for marijuana in the city — which currently bans the drug but has been considering a change — led by a group called the California Cannabis Coalition, which is gathering signatures now.

Cioci has proposed an alternative path toward marijuana regulation in San Bernardino — he was unable to get enough signatures in 2015 but has remained active in promoting the plan — that would form a city commission to decide the best marijuana policy.

“The people of the city deserve to have a say,” Cioci said. “Not all regulation, not all legalization, is always good or good for the city. These folks have already cost different cities a lot of money in lawsuits and the way that they do things.”

Upland has spent more than $45,000 in a year of court battles fighting the California Cannabis Coalition’s attempt to hold a special election on a ballot measure that aimed to overturn Upland’s ban on medical marijuana dispensaries.

If the pro-recall group had gathered signatures from 25 percent of voters in the ward Shorett represents, it would have triggered an election on whether to recall him.

Shorett represents the 4th Ward, generally the north-eastern part of the city, which had 13,512 registered voters as of Sunday.